My Dark Sun
by PieceOfMyHeart
Summary: When the Sun disappears, it leaves room for the Shadow to haunt. Its not as dark as it sounds, promise its cheerier later on.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! I've been working on this for a bit now and have a few ideas up my sleeve for it. The third chapter for 'A Heartbeat' is also underway so get ready for that! This is kinda like a prologue to the story, its not essential but I thought it would help explain my logic in the plot and characters to come. Enjoy and drop a comment about any story of mine!**

* * *

"Remember, as long as the sunshine promises to fills the sky, I'll always promise to be with you. As you will be with me. You're my little sunshine, I love you darling." A kiss and hug later the comforting voice disappears into the darkness.

The small boy lay curled in his bed, covers wrapped tightly around his quivering form. The scratchy cover rubbed sores over his arms and back and barely provided any heat in the chilling winter nights. The pillow was lumpy and gave even less comfort than the covers. The cold, damp room lay bare with only a bed and a small chest of drawers and a neat pile of books that lay stashed under the bed. The door lay slightly ajar, letting in a small stream of light that illuminated the child's tiny form.

His breathing was uneven and his eyes clamped shut, as if trying to avoid a nightmare. His dark hair plastered to his face and neck with nervous sweat, the silence overwhelming. He was no more than seven, his eighth birthday a few months ahead. The familiar warm feeling of soft fur sat against his cheek and chin, a warm tongue occasionally tickling the tip of his nose. He yawned and turned round, quickly settling into silence. The puppy quickly jumped up and yipped before following the boy and curling into his neck. He had jolted away then once he heard it, dread filling him and the still atmosphere changing into that of a fearful one. The puppy whimpered. The sound of keys rattling in the front door, the door flying open and the thudding of muddy, wet boots and terrified hushed words. The young child had curled inwards and tried to block out the yelling and screaming he knew was coming, tried to ignore the sound of hands striking bare skin and the painfilled noises that would surely follow.

"_**You are my sunshine, my only sunshine."**_

"Please, you'll wake-"

"To hell! I won't let Howard do nought! I'll kill Stark before he can finish the damn form!"

The room filled with soft whimpering. The footsteps carried the familiar voice to the door of his bedroom. The slight noises quietened into occasional squeaks. Light suddenly ambushed into the room, momentarily blinding the child. Hands grabbed the young boy, pulling him away from the safety of his bed and the warm fur. Dragging him into the main room, he was roughly thrown onto the floor sharp stings pricked the child's bare hand and feet.

"Look what you've done, you monster!" the shadow of a figure loomed over him and sneered in a drunken haze, swaying slightly. A piece of paper clutched in his hand was roughly shoved into his face. The child lay stiffly in a small pile of glass and ceramic, every movement causing a shard to pierce his soft skin. The boy noticed an absence and scanned the room, looking everywhere for any sign of his mother.

"_**You make me happy, when skies are grey."**_

The room glistened with glass shards and dim streetlight that streamed in from the doorway. Glass rained down onto the blood-stained carpet, staining over the caramel colour, from the flower patterned wall where it shattered from its former vase shape. Crisping flowers lay scattered over the floor, water dripped down the wall. The room was in turmoil: the ripped dark, couch lay on its back, shoved roughly backwards, elegant glass table shattered into a river of red stained glass shards, a pair of white doors that separated the kitchen from the main room had been ripped from the hinges and chucked to the side, a raw tattoo of fingernail scratches and claw gashes decorated the frame and surrounding carpet. Plates lay in various areas, shattered from being launched into the air from the kitchen doorway. Knives and forks littered the large room, sparkling in the dim light. Despite the chaos, the air hung frozen and silent.

The man grabbed the mould of even softer fur from the boy's clutches, who screamed in agony. He gargled slightly before throwing the small animal forcefully to the floor, earning a cry from the boy. The dormouse limped as quickly as possible back to the boy but was snatched into strong canine jaws as the boy was grabbed by his father. The sleek Doberman growled and pressed her dripping teeth into the mouse, cutting deep.

"Don't you ignore me, freak! Can't you grow up and stop acting like a lost puppy whenever she isn't within a metre of you! I always knew you would turn out to be a useless piece of junk! You are the biggest burden in my stinking life! I should have rid you from my life when I had the chance!" His father screamed a string of insults into the boy's terrified face, "Your mother was a fool to allow you to live! Should have listened to me, wasting my money and her time on you!" The child's stomach heaved at the stench of alcohol wafting from the drunken man's breath. The grip loosened on the boy as a small voice reached them and he plummeted to the floor. The Doberman still chewed on the shaking dormouse but lifted her head slightly, eyes narrowed.

"_**You'll never know, dear, how much I love you."**_

Arms suddenly enclosed around the child, plucking him from the floor and into a warm, soaking chest. At the same time, feline hissing and teeth forced the dog to drop the dormouse and back away slightly. The man's head jerked up with a growl.

"Brian, please don't harm him, he is innocent! Please, I'm begging you." The quant woman pleaded. She slowly limped back towards the destroyed kitchen, her leg held at an odd angle. A snow leopard stalking protectively in front of her, herding the dormouse with his paw. The usual beautiful fur was filthy and matted with fresh blood and mud and supported a dusting of snow. He flashed his yellow teeth at the man and dog, warding them away. The drunken man ignored him and swung a clumsy kick at his jaw. The feline jerked back but the boot caught his nose and knocked him balance off. The Doberman seized her chance and leaped at the dazed leopard. The woman gasped as the dog wrestled the cat to the floor, cruelly digging her sharp claws into his soft flanks. Squeaking loudly, the dormouse raced away from the advancing dog and leaped into the sobbing boys grasp. The woman whirled round and raced out the ruined house into the cold, wet night as her husband staggered after her. She reached the end of the garden path when a hand suddenly latched onto her shoulder, pulling her back into his harsh embrace. She planted a quick kiss on his forehead before dropping him onto the snow covered grass.

"_**Please don't take my sunshine away."**_

Recovering quickly from the fall, the child crawled into the thick hedge that defined the border of the garden. Two pair of terrified eyes peered out at the sight of the soaking adults wrestling in the thickly drifting snow. The woman suddenly slipped and crashed to the path, bashing her head. Within seconds, the man was upon her, hand clenched into a tight fist. He drove it down into her forehead, knocking her head back into the ground, the snow becoming an alarming red. The man raised his fist and struck again harder. The woman screamed in fear and pain as her head was continuously smashed into the slabbed path, a crimson trail of liquid flowed down towards the boy's hiding spot, merging with the snow and causing a confusion of red and pink.

"_**I'll always love you, and make you smile bright."**_

Movement burst from the front door as the leopard dashed out towards the woman, covered in bald patches and gashes. A shadow descended on the injured feline, forcing him to the ground.

"Mordan, no!" The woman's eyes widened at the leopard's easy defeat. She turned her head towards the child as the man jerked his fist up once more. Their eyes met and for a moment they held each other's gaze. "Run, Bruce! I love you, my sunshine." She smiled tearfully at the child as the fist connected with her temple, her head hit the ground and became limp. Her gaze held with the child but no longer seen him. The leopard fell for the last time, combusting into a cloud of red and orange dust particles that rose into the sky.

"Rebecca?" The man looked around in a daze, and slapped the woman's face. He swore and spat on the blood covered snow before staggering up and retreating into the house. The Doberman stretched and lazily followed.

Bruce stared from his spot in the bush, tears freely flowed down his frozen cheeks. He jumped up and raced to his mother, gently turning her face towards him. The glazed eyes only stared into nothing. Sobs racked the small boy as he leaned against his mother's chest. The dormouse hesitated before licking her cheek and gently clambered to her lifeless eyes. She slowly closed the eyelids.

"_**I'll never leave you, to ache alone."**_

"Mummy, come back. The sun is still here, why are you going away?" The child, with a heavy heart, understood exactly the situation. Bruce clasped her hand together over her stomach and kissed her dented forehead. He plucked a dying flower that barely poked from under the white blanket and threaded it between her thumbs. He rested his head on her painfully still chest. "I'll always love you, mama, because the sun is still alive."

Grunts made the boy jump up with a cry. The Doberman barked a laugh and continued to move forward. Brian appeared in the doorway with a lighter and bottle. When he seen the flower, his face turned red.

"You stupid sissy! What kind of weirdo are you!?" He dropped the items and lashed towards Bruce at the same time the dog snapped at his ankles. A sharp pain gripped his shin and he fell backwards. He glanced up at the towered man.

"_**Nothing can harm you, my darling Brucey."**_

"Daddy, please stop!" He sobbed a plea and covered his face. The man merely laughed and lifted his foot over the child. Terror held the boy as he suddenly jerked backwards and scrambled to his feet. With a quick glance to his mother, the child hauled himself over the small gate and raced down the bright grey street. His bare feet throbbed with each pounding step. The dormouse squeaked and jumped from his shoulders, landing in the soft powder with a small puff of pale yellow dust. Beside him, the puppy ran now with the same terrified determination.

They ran for what seemed like hours until they could take no more steps. Together, they collapsed in a heap in an empty street beside a large factory. Soaked and shivering, the boy allowed the sobs to consume him. The puppy lay in silence, her breathing dangerously shallow. Bruce lay with his face in the snow until the beginnings of dawn began to show. Exhausted, sleep threatened to take the boy and he was tempted to let it. If it weren't for the arms that engulfed him and carried him swiftly into warmth, he would have surely allowed it to finish him.

"_**As long as you stay deep in my heart."**_

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**I am so sorry for the feels. I had tears flowing when writing. I liked the song aspect of it; the second verse was half copied, half edited to make it more appropriate. The original is:**

**I'll always love you**  
**And make you happy**  
**If you will only say the same**  
**But if you leave me**  
**To love another**  
**You'll regret it all some day**

**So its like a daemon universe! Kinda like His dark materials actually... Next on the agenda is A Heartbeat.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here's the next part. The plot for this is more or less set in stone now so should be easier to write than the likes of A Heartbeat (still quite indecisive about where its ending). Look out for chapter 3 (technically 2 seen as there was a prologue but...) of this pretty soon.**

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"_**Need to keep going."**_

His filthy, bare feet pounded against the cracked earth, creating a drift of dust as he frantically raced into the darkness. His only comfort was the occasional brush of fur against his legs and the padding of paws that were as tired as he felt. The ground stretched for what seemed like miles in front of him, an ever repeating landscape of an impossible amount of dull brown shades. They all merged and blurred into the small stretch of desert that the terrified and weary man currently found himself racing across. He didn't know what country he was in, the time of night, the day, what month. All he knew was that if he stopped, he was better off dead. He knew they would stop at nothing to capture him, bring him back to the States, and use him to their advantage, as an experiment.

He had almost got a life back; living in slums, aiding people through illnesses of all sorts, and scrapping through an anonymous life. Running from his previous life, he travelled into the Asian landscape, casually working his way further away from America. Until they found him again. He was in a small town in India when they caught up to him. He had let himself become too content and had let the danger slip his mind. As soon as he seen the group of armed soldiers, all supporting the familiar logo belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D, an organisation wanting the running man, marched into the village in the dead of night, he turned tail and fled, grabbing only a few valuables from his shack.

His weary feet scuffed the ground and he tripped and stumbled. His skidded and he quickly hit the ground.

"_I can't."_

A warning growl sounded not too far away from him and dripping fur collided into his side, reminding him of the rapidly approaching danger. He grabbed a mould of shimmering silver fur, the only thing he could made out in the absent light, and gently pulled himself upright again. He threw a glance over his shoulder but it was impossible to see anything in the pitch black wilderness. With a whimper, he straightened as best as his weary form would allow and journeyed on.

"_**You must."**_

His bare chest and back was coated in a layer of grime and sweat, his feet raw and blistered. The remains of his trousers hung limply around his waist, one hand clumsily clutched the ripped elastic in order to hold the tatters to his skin. The other desperately held a torn wallet to his chest protectively. Apart from his panicked breathing and gulps of air and the occasional snarl or whine, the air was still and quiet. The night continued on, ignoring the fleeing pair's antics.

"_**Can't stop."**_

Behind the man, lights suddenly burst through the night. They illuminated the dusty landscape and the retreating body. He panicked and burst forward, trying to create a mental map of his surroundings from the searchlights roaming around. The lights helped him avoid trees and boulders which he swiftly twisted his way around. A large shadow caught his eye as the lights swept across once again.

"_**There!" **_

As the searchlight began to creep closer, the man swerved and sprinted towards the looming dark spikes. The sound of revving engines grew louder with every step. He was close now, only metres away from the shadows. Thick tree trunks sprouted into sight. He barrelled into them and struggled through the undergrowth, darting from side to side as the light flickered through the wide leaves. He struggled onwards, every step draining him of willpower and energy. The swift feline form beside him lunged forwards into a bush with alarming grace and elegance. The undergrowth suddenly thinned as the man stumbled to a halt, the small clearing before him a series of black and the flickering white of an oasis. As quickly as it had appeared the distant searchlight turned and -retreated, giving up and leaving the man in blissful darkness. He sighed and collapsed against a particularly large tree. His drenched body quickly slide down the rough bark leaving cuts and scratches behind. With a soft thud the man landed on the ground and closed his eyes. He was panting and fighting for air. Exhaustion washed through his limps. His feet shivered as they chilled instantly, a rhythmic tapping against his ankles. His chest burned with each breath.

A soft thud sounded close to his head and he whipped his head round. Exhaustion and darkness robbed him of his sight. The man automatically began listening harder to the sound of heavy panting, sniffing slightly to the thick scent of sweat and fear. His hands fumbled as he rolled onto his side with a groan. His cheek brushed against wet fur and he let out a gush of air he never realised he was holding as a familiar purr sounded softly in his ears. His hands roamed the ground until he held a ridiculously large paw gently in his hand. The other hand soothingly stroked matted fur, scratching well known spots he was familiar with and knew the calming message it would send. The tired man closed his eyes with a sigh and lifted both handed to grab either side of the quivering head and pressed his forehead against the soft fur. A cool tongue glided up his nose and a sharp weight clashed into his side and held him in place.

"We're safe now, we made it." The soft feminine voice soothed the weary man further, he could only nod in agreement. The large snow leopard squeezed him gently in reassurance, her tail swirled the icy water lying close by. The man smiled slightly. That explains the sudden chill to his feet. With a moan, he opened his eyes and scanned the surroundings. He forced his eyes to focus. A low glow caught his eye in the near distance between the trees. Stiffly, he turned his head and narrowed his eyes. The light caught the leaves and illuminated their jagged appearance, making them unfriendly and emphasising the strange surroundings the man found himself in, quite unwillingly too. He shivered as he tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in his gut, pushing the memories he was running from to the back of his mind. As he focussed, lines and amber glows soon danced in his vision. He grinned sluggishly. A village.

"We need to get there. Shelter and food." His voice was raspy and unfamiliar. Probably the dehydration, he thought to himself as he turned his attention back to the clearing. He let himself slide back down the tree trunk he had rested against. He curled towards his daemon, seeking out her comfort and warmth. She quickly grabbed him with an agreed huff and let them fall into a calming silence.

Not too far from where they lay, the sudden sound of cracking broke the silence, a startling splash vibrated the ground and air, soaking the shivering man. A strangled noise sounded softly next to him and a heavy weight suddenly pinned his abdomen down, the warm weight against his forehead and side disappearing. He tried to move the large quivering body that landed on him, but it was firmly set. It was oddly comforting, soothing almost even if it was soaking from the large wave that engulfed them.

"Are you ok?" A soft nudge against his cheek. With a soft huff, he nodded before his hand dropped to the ground and he finally allowed his head to flop limply. "Bruce?!" The heavy weight once again shifted and lifted completely, a warm glow lighting his eyelids for an instant and he felt a familiar flicker in his heart, the swooping sensation of his heart stilling before racing back into motion, a feeling the man was very used to, before the night was black again. The man felt a tiny scratching against his cheek and opened his eyes. The once large snow leopard was gone, replaced by a sleek polecat. He lifted his hand to wrap around the now tiny body. She squeaked quietly and arched into his touch, twisting round in a tight circle as his thumb caressed her course fur.

"It's ok, we're safe Sunshine. You can rest." The man's daemon grimaced and looked down at her exhausted partner. She gently wrapped her tiny form around his neck protectively and pressed her black head against his jaw. All at once, the man smiled weakly as his body went limp and let the already dark world grow even darker until he was floating in a bliss black space.

* * *

Bruce stared at the window with a confused expression. He had followed a panicking little girl who was sobbing about her father being ill. She had ran into a small, messy shack and promptly jumped out the bedroom window, leaving the doctor looking stunned.

"For a man whos avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle." A slender woman sauntered gently into view from being a wall, a small smirk on her face. Bruce quickly spun round and sighed as he eyed the woman tiredly. He held a worn briefcase in one hand, the other held behind him. A small comforting weight sat on his bicep, hidden underneath his shirt and jacket. It slowly crawled onto his shoulder. He eyed the woman wearily and turned to face her full on. He dropped the case and twisted his hands together, suddenly anxious.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret." He mumbled back, watching her smirk and move forward. A sleek feline arched round her leg, glaring at Bruce untrustingly. His coat was a beautiful golden with burnt spots, _Margay, _he thought to himself. He was the size of a large house cat, his wide eyes and big ears relaxed. He strutted forward, slowly and tenderly. He gently looked up and Bruce and paused. He flicked his tail as he continued to stalk forwards in a fluid movement.

"Then what is it? Yoga?" The woman smiled, and drifted around the room lightly, looking around and taking in the shack's shabby appearance. Bruce watched before taking a step forward. She wordlessly took in his worn clothes and ripped shoes before staring at his tangled hair. His hand snaked towards his neck, his nerves lifting slightly when he felt a small paw nudge him. The margay stalked around the room, looking uninterested. He cast his eyes over Bruce's form and bristled slightly. Bruce narrowed his eyes at him. The cat backed away, looking disturbed. He moved slowly, his limbs tense. Bruce looked up from the cat currently stalking closer to him.

"_**I don't trust him."**_

"I assume the place is surrounded?"

"Just you and me." The woman smiled warmly with a silent chuckle.

"Who are you?" With a blink, he watched the cat return to the woman's side. He leaped onto a table and ran his tail across the woman's slender wrists. He looked around before lying down and locked eyes with Bruce.

"Natasha Romanoff, and this is Berlion." The woman stroked to the cat who twitched his ears backwards and flicked his tail. He continued to eye the nervous man, his glare softening. Natasha watched before pulling her phone out and slowly walked towards the doctor. She began to talk, slowly but urgently. Bruce wasn't listening. His eyes were locked with Berlion, both males untrusting of each other. Bruce swallowed as the cat looked him over once again.

"_**He doesn't understand my absence." **_

Natasha glanced back at Berlion and then Bruce, a wary look set on her features. She glanced at Bruce's feet before launching back into her explanation, with only a raised eyebrow. Her cover shot back up, leaving Bruce wondering if he had imagined the odd glance.

"We need you to come in. The tesseract is in someone's possession who intends to use it against humanity. The quicker we find it, the better. You're the only one who can trace it, the gamma readings are too faint for us." Natasha spoke firmly but her eyes flickered slightly, confused by the daemonless man. Bruce frowned slightly.

"What if I say no?" He smiled for the first time. Berlion flashed his teeth and arched his back. Bruce felt claws nip his shoulder blade.

"I'll persuade you." Natasha purred, eyes flashing at the man who swallowed.

"And what if the 'Other Guy' says no?" He noticed the bristling of fur against his skin. Natasha smiled once again. She sat down slowly and exhaled.

"You've been a year without an incident, you really want to break that?" her voice jumped slightly, deceiving her stone glare.

"So this tesseract. You want me to swallow it?"

"We want you to find it." Bruce narrowed his eyes. Natasha smirked. She dropped the phone on the table next to the seething cat and folded her arms and crossed her legs.

"What makes you think you can trust me?" Bruce gently glanced at the picture before turning his gaze on the seemingly relaxed woman.

"Fury seems to trust you, and now he needs you in."

"In a cage." Bruce growled slightly. Berlion snarled silently, claws extended and ripping the rotting wood.

"Nobody wants you in a c-" The woman sighed, sitting up straighter and looked down at the phone. Bruce suddenly slapped his folded hands down on the table with a loud bang, his eyes flashing green and teeth bared.

"Stop lying to me!" He yelled, his voice strained slightly. Against his neck, he felt an amused huff. Natasha was on her feet in a flash, gun yanked from under the table and pointed at Bruce. Berlion screeched furiously, hissing and lashing at Bruce.

"I'm sorry, that was mean," Bruce smiled slightly and raised his hand in mock surrender. Natasha glared, her breathing slightly uneven. She slowly lowered the gun after a few seconds and raised her hand to her ear.

"Stand down. We've good here." She shakily spoke and glared at Bruce who raised an amused eyebrow. She looked down at her daemon.

"Just you and me." He taunted slightly with a tug at the corner of his mouth. Natasha looked up and for the first time looked lost for words. He offered a small apologetic smile which she blinked at.

"_**Well this will be interesting."**_

* * *

Within hours, Bruce and Natasha were aboard an aircraft and speeding towards America. Bruce had been allocated a 'room' for the duration of the flight which he currently lay in, sprawled across the soft bed. It wasn't really a room, just a small cupboard –like room that was at the rear of the aircraft.

After he agreed to comply with the spy's request, he was quickly escorted into the nearby field where the aircraft stood. Natasha walked beside him, the pair surrounded in a circle of armed guards. He had boarded easily, much to the surprise of the guards and spy. Berlion had followed behind, occasionally darting forward and snapping at Bruce's ankles as he sped past. The jet looked small at first but once they had boarded, he realised it was bigger than he had thought. Natasha had stiffly showed him the room before striding towards the control room, wordlessly. Berlion hissed once last time before following, tail swishing furiously. Bruce has shook his head, women.

The room he was bundled into was tiny, barely fitting a single bed, beside table and lamp. A small mirror hung at an odd angle over the table and a collection of essentials sat in a box. The floor space was even worse, he had to sidestep to get from the bed to the door. The walls were a rusty red colour, looking worryingly like dried blood. The tired man lay with a large tablet in his hands. He flicked his finger across the screen, bored of the information he was commanded to read by the spy as it would 'help make sense of the ordeal'. He rolled his eyes as he flipped from a profile of Natasha to himself. He quickly dropped the tablet onto the bed with a dark chuckle. Not much point of reading his own file, he humourlessly huffed silently.

"Well isn't this nice." Bruce was broken from his thoughts as a small shadow darted across his vision. He glanced over.

"Fernanda, leave that." Bruce sat up and sighed as she pawed a lamp, clumsily shoved in the corner of the room beside the small table. The small polecat looked up with a pout and leaped onto Bruce's lap. She curled her back against his stomach as he gently scratched her ears. She purred slightly. Bruce smiled. She was beautiful, her glossy chocolate fur shone in the light. Two stripes curled from her forehead round her cheek and joining to colour her muzzle a pale cream shade. Bruce used to tease her about how similar the tips of the arches looked like eyebrows. Her black eyes gleamed as she met Bruce's gaze. He chuckled and rubbed her chin.

"Spoilsport." She fondly laughed and rubbed her side against his hand.

"I'm surprised you didn't lash at Berlion earlier." She puffed, annoyed. Bruce laughed loudly.

"Oh you don't know how much I wanted to wipe that smug look of his face." She hissed slightly before sighing. Her paws curled and stretched as Bruce massaged her fur, her black-tipped tail flicking occasionally. She lay down and sighed contently. Bruce lifted her as he lay back down and gently placed her on his chest where she happily snuggled.

"Fern?" Bruce broke the silence. The polecat lifted her head and looked at her partner. She twitched her ears with a yawn. She raised an amused eyebrow as Bruce tilted his head to look at her.

"What now, sport?"

"Do you think Natasha thinks I'm soulless?" Bruce swallowed and ran and finger down her back. She firmly shook her head.

"You know how the Soulless are. Theres no way she could have even considered it." They both shivered at the mention of the unfortunate section of the population. Every human has what is commonly known as a Daemon, human souls that take the form of an animal. As a child, a daemon switches between many forms freely, but as adolescence begins, daemons settle into one final form that closely represents their human.

"Its still possible though, that she thought that I mean." Bruce grimaced. Fern sat up and frowned down at him.

"Soulless people are nothing like we think. If a human loses their daemon," she gestured to herself, "they become mad, crazed with grief. They don't feel the same as us, they can't feel. They literally lose the ability to think and act like a rational human being. You must remember ol'Ben." Bruce winced. Daemons are only alive and connected to their counterparts by Dust. Not many people understand what Dust is, scientists have been trying and failing to understand it real purpose and effect on a daemon for centuries.

As a child, Bruce had been fascinated by the elderly man who lived close to his childhood home. He had a beautiful beagle who bounced around him as he shuffled around, despite their age. Bruce would often play with him in his back garden, whether it was grass bowls or card games at the table. The dog always made Bruce laugh, and Fern freely chased her in a haze of blissful excitement. She had been killed in a freak accident when Bruce was four. A car skidded out of control and hit them. Ben survived but his daemon died in a puff of light and a howl. Bruce and Fern witnessed the accident, and raced to help. The man physically recovered fully, but his heart had shattered. Bruce no longer spent his afternoons in his garden, the sight of Fern was enough to set him off screaming in angst. Often he was found screaming his daemon's name in the middle of the night as he wandered the dimly lit street. Bruce never seen him after he was moved into a Soul unit, a place for Soulless people to be cared for.

"I wonder if a daemon could ever be bodiless." Bruce mumbled to himself after a brief pause. Fern shivered and shook her head.

"You know its impossible."

"I know I know. Dust makes us settle, blah blah. A good job it done on us, huh? I still think daemons come from something other than Dust. Its too simple." Bruce grinned sheepishly at Fern who rolled her eyes.

"We're different. A daemon, but, can't live without their human. We can't even stray too far without it becoming painful. Come on Bruce, you know it's the Dust that keeps us alive and part of you. Whatever way it is inside you, makes us. Its like your own unique code."

"Yeah, I know. It's Dust that lets you shift. It doesn't explain how it didn't settle on you though. They said it was post-traumatic stress, but how did that stop it?" Bruce sighed as Fern jumped off his chest. Just as she hit the bed, her fur shimmered and she almost seemed to evaporate in a cloud of orange dust particles. Before she fully disappeared, she shifted into her other form. Fern, now a large snow leopard, grinned down at Bruce and lay down next to him. She rested her head on his arm and draped a paw over his stomach.

"Cause I'm the coolest daemon around." She smirked and yawned, flashing her teeth. Bruce twisted onto his side and stroked her side with an exaggerated sigh.c

"I don't know if this was a good idea. What is someone sees you? What if they catch us again and run that experiment?" Bruce suddenly tensed as footsteps sounded far up the hall. Fern tensed but relaxed when they faded. As Bruce progressed from his teenage years, people were fascinated and sometimes offended as Fern freely shifted between her two favourite forms. Bruce always found the reactions quite amusing and dramatic, but when he began working with Betty and General Ross, things began to take a turn for the worse. After the Hulk accident, Ross became obsessed with Bruce's situation and his transformations. When he realised Fern was almost completely unaffected by the change in Bruce, he began experimenting and studying the unfortunate pair. They both escaped eventually and fled.

"They won't. We can't be the only ones unsettled, I'm sure of it. They're has to be others. Anyway, they seem to desperately need your help. Once you've found this cube, we'll be able to leave again." She gently cupped his face with her ridiculously large paws and bashed one against his head before licking his cheek and nuzzled him lovingly.

"You're right. Man, I think I'd go nuts without you." Bruce sighed and nuzzled her back, wrapping her into his arms.

"Of course you would, Sport." Fern laughed softly and leaned into him. Bruce smiled and closed his eyes. The pair settled into the blissful darkness, the candle, previously flickering brightly on the table in place of the lamp, had long burnt out. Within minutes, man and daemon were fast asleep, wrapped in each other's embrace, and both completely unaware of how drastically their lives would change in the coming days.

* * *

Bruce was wakened to the bashing on the door. He jolted awake, heart pounding and frantically clamoured out of bed. Fern had darted off the bed and flew under the table, shifting into her more concealing form. The offending noise suddenly stopped and he heard a thud and yelp, followed by hushed voices before silence. He hunched over and closed his eyes, breathing deeply to calm himself down. The room became silent, much to the pair's relief.

"Banner?" A quieter knock sounded the room, followed by a polite feminine voice. Still half asleep, Bruce frowned and stumbled to the door and clumsily unlocked it. Natasha stood casually, twirling a pen in her fingers. She looked up slightly as the door opened. At her feet, Berlion flicked his tail slightly and walked in figures of eight around the bored woman's legs. He glared and tensed as Bruce emerged.

"Uh Y-yeah?" He stammered, blushing slightly at his messy hair and crumbled clothes. He quickly tried to smooth his shirt as he leaned into the doorframe. Natasha wordlessly handed his a fresh batch of clothing.

"We'll be landing in around ten minutes, meet me on the bridge then." She emotionlessly stated before turning on her heels and stalking away, daemon in tow and leaving Bruce awkwardly holding a pile of clothes and staring after her in confusion.

"Isn't she a ray of sunlight." Fern grumbled from behind Bruce, shaking him out of his trance. He stepped back into the room and closed the door with a foot. He dropped the clothes on the unmade bed and stretched with a loud yawn. Fern climbed onto the bed and inspected the clothes as Bruce sat down heavily next to her, dropping his head into his hands with a groan.

"I so regret this." He sighed, almost to himself. With a shake of his head, he peered over at the pile of clothes and pulled a horrified face. "Purple?!"

"I always said you suited that colour." Fern sniggered, pawing the deep purple shirt which was neatly folded at the top of the pile. Bruce glared at her and picked the material up and grimaced. He stood up and wordlessly pulled his worn tshirt off and replaced it with the brand new shirt. He looked down at Fern once he had finished buttoning it up, a questioning expression filling his face.

"Turn round, Sexy." Fern mockingly wolf whistled. She batted her eyes and smiled sweetly at Bruce who threw the dusty, torn tshirt at her, with an exaggerated growl. She laughed and jumped out its way. She rolled onto her back and stretched her short legs out.

"Well, this must be her payback for last night." He mumbled as Fern chuckled. He yanked the trousers on and fastened the buckle, strangely fitting perfectly. He gave his hair a few brushes, trying to tame the wild curly locks. He gave up after a few attempts of smoothing it down into place. He scraped his wallet into the large pockets and looked in the mirror once again. Fern yawned and groomed herself delicately. While he was tying his shoelaces, Fern excitedly peered out the circular window. She squealed slightly when she spied the landing destination and grinned at Bruce, who only looked nervously at her.

"Aww come on, Sport! It'll be fine. Nothing will happen, and it looks pretty cool." She sighed and pointed at the rapidly approaching landing pad. Bruce sceptically glanced at the window and gasped. He slowly stood and leaned over for a better view. The small grey patch expanded into a large runway, littered with similar jets and people flocking around professionally. Bruce frowned and glanced at the ocean only metres from their window. The jet slowly lifted as it crossed from ocean to concrete. Fern blinked as the large deck-like area covered almost the whole top surface of their destination. The only sign of a lower deck was the door sunk into the only raised wall acting as a fence between the deck and waters. The pair watched as the pad was prepared and the jet spun gracefully before landing, gently rocking Bruce against the wall.

"Oh boy." He took one last glance as the wheels were quickly secured and the wings began to fold down. Another jet close by was being tied down as well. He gently lifted Fern who slipped into his shirt, never taking his eyes off the looming building structure not too far away from him, understanding that that was where he was going to be taken.

"It's alright. Now come on, we need to go meet Sourface." Fern gently nipped his neck with a claw. Bruce snorted slightly and nodded. He reluctantly dragged his feet behind him, pausing to look back at the room before closing the door behind him with a small gulp.

"Didn't think you were coming." Natasha raised her eyebrow as the wary man entered the bridge, his eyes scanning his surroundings with an annoyed expression.

"And where exactly did you think I would go? I'm not one for swimming in the middle of the ocean." He half mumbled at the impatient woman as he stopped in front of her, looking across, bewildered. For the first time, Natasha laughed slightly and shook her head. Berlion rolled his eyes from the seat he was lounged in.

"This way." Natasha led Bruce down the stairs and onto the concrete surface. Bruce whimpered slightly at the swarming mass of people that darted across and around him. He swivelled as the jet began to close the door with a loud gush of air. With a shaky breath, he turned round to find himself alone, Natasha nowhere to be seen. Bruce blinked and took a step back, breathing deeply.

"_**Nuh uh, you can't back out now."**_

"_Since when?"_

"_**Since we stepped foot on the jet. Now move it."**_Bruce audibly grumbled as he peered at the crowd of people and stepped forward. He slowly moved forwards until a group of people sauntered by laughing and unaware of the awkward man who shied back. He twisted and turned in a mad panic.

"Doctor Banner?" The man looked up almost gratefully at the sudden voice. He glanced around until his eyes settled on Natasha standing with another man. Bruce's eyes widen as he recognised the picture-perfect, ironically blonde hero. Captain America smiled at him and extended his hand out.

"Captain America. They told me you were coming." Bruce gently shook his hand. He coughed and quickly shoved his hands in his pockets with a small smile.

"Please, call me Steve, and this is Lelicia. I usually just call her Leia." Steve gestured to the German Shepard that sat peacefully next to Steve, a calm, interested gleam in her eyes as she watched men running past. At the mention of her name, she stood and turned her gaze on Bruce and smiled warmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor." She bowed her head slightly, earning a chuckled from Steve. She slowly looked over the man with a puzzled expression. Bruce twirled his fingers slightly.

"You can call me Bruce." He swallowed and averted his eyes as the daemon sniffed the air slightly and cocked her head. She suddenly stretched before wandering towards the jet behind Bruce, looking a little ashamed. Bruce frowned and looked at Steve who just smiled slightly.

"Word is you can find the cube?" Steve broke the silence with a small incline of his head. Bruce nodded slowly before swallowing and shifting his feet, his eyes darting around him.

"Is that the only word on me?" He drew the question out carefully, his eyes casting down as he did so. He felt a small nudge against his neck.

"Only word I care about." Steve blinked slowly and smiled warmly. Bruce watched him in amazement. He felt Fern shift slightly.

"_**I like this one." **_Bruce supressed an eyeroll at the comment. Berlion, who had sat between Natasha's feet, watched Leia with a soft expression. He walked a little closer and huffed as she cocked her head. He gently began to explain the procedures and the function of all the equipment Leia was staring at.

"You boys might want to step inside. It's going to get a little hard to breathe." Natasha broke both men's intense gaze at the two daemons. She smirked at the blank faces and sniggered as Bruce jumped as a loud roar ripped through the relatively quiet air. Leia yelped and ran to Steve who was watching as men began to strap everything down and grabbing handles. The ground under their feet began to shake and sway slightly, Bruce stumbling slightly with a gasp. He quickly caught himself and shot a questioning gaze at Natasha who leaned against a large pile of metal poles. She gestured with her hand and yawned. Bruce and Steve both followed her finger and looked at each other.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve frowned as the trio walked in the indicated direction. Berlion leaped onto the metal pile, then Natasha's shoulders. He curled around her neck slightly, draping his tail across her chest. Steve dropped his hand slowly, Leia pushing her head against his touch reassuringly.

"Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurised metal container?" Bruce huffed in dark amusement, earning a hiss from Berlion. Fern sniggered gleefully. As they neared the edge of the ship, Bruce leaned forward slightly and his eyes widened as the two large fans came into view. The obvious source of the roaring, they spun rapidly and propelled the large ship out the water. As the ship began to rise steadily, Bruce whistled slightly. "oh no, this is much worse." He smiled, amused. Leia looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Bruce casted his gaze away from her, a twang of sadness rippling through his body. Fern reached down and placed a paw over Bruce's heart and licked his throat. He lifted a hand and scratched his face. As he dropped his hand, he gently caught her paw and squeezed, a small smile on the corner of his lips.

"This way, boys." Natasha, obviously bored, turned and started walking to the door. Steve turned his head to Bruce, looking terrified yet excited. The doctor nodded sympathetically and started after the spy. Steve and Leia trotting behind like a puppy. Natasha threw a glance over her shoulder to make sure they had followed.

"_Told you this is a bad idea."_

"_**Shh, I'm curious as to how big this ship is. Hurry up, Slowcoach." **_Bruce audibly groaned, making Steve jump. He blushed and ducked his head, cursing himself. He was going to have to be more careful. As they neared the door, all the working men seemed to have thinned out, disappearing into thin air. Bruce scanned the deck and frowned when he found no one. He turned back to the door and glanced at Steve who shared the same unconvinced look. Steve looked over at the doctor, who averted his eyes quickly, his cheeks flushing pink.

"After you." Steve gestured mockingly and bowed his head. Leia snorted and shook her head. Bruce smiled with a huff and ducked into the dark corridor. Natasha was a few metres ahead, leading the two cautious men further into the twisting maze of rooms and corridors. Berlion pranced next to her, completely at ease. Bruce tried to remember the route but was lost within a couple of turns. He sighed and dropped his gaze to his chest. He caught Fern's eye and they stared at each other for a few seconds before Bruce snapped his head up at the sound of metal groaning.

"Welcome to the Helicarrier, men." Natasha turned her head slightly. She pushed a button on the wall as she continued. A large metal sheet slid back into the wall, revealing a large room. The door led onto a small conference decking with a large table in the middle. Further into the room, stairs led down to a mass of computers with workers typing furiously. In the middle of the room, a man in a black outfit stood proudly, with both hands resting casually on two angled screens. Steve's jaw dropped and Bruce gasped. They shared a short glance before drinking in their surroundings.

"_**Ok, maybe I did underestimate this place."**_ Fern tensed as she stared out and swallowed slightly, burrowing into Bruce's shoulder.

"_you think?" _Bruce swallowed as Natasha beckoned them inside. Steve almost tiptoed in, staring in awe. Leia's tongue rolled out her mouth as she excitedly bounded around the super soldier. With a deep inhale, Bruce rolled his shoulder slightly before stepping inside, as confidently as he could.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"An army…from outer space?" Steve frowned from where he sat at the large glass table. Leia sat at his side, looking puzzled and bored. Natasha sat opposite him, Berlion curled on the table, his tail flicking occasionally. Thor, the demigod of thunder, had his arms folded and was glaring at the ground. Zacha, his daemon, was fluttering furiously. She was an Impundulu, or Lightning bird, a so thought creature of myth. She fanned her long grey tail feather and snapped her curved beak in the air. Maria Hill stood a few yards away, watching them closely, her lynx daemon at her side with a wary eye.

They had all just witnessed Director Fury speaking to Loki, Thor's adoptive brother. Thor had watched, lost for words as his hate-filled brother taunted and threatened Fury about the infinitive energy source named the Tesseract, which he had stolen from them, and bristled slightly when he looked directly at the camera and mocked Bruce. His panther daemon was pacing menacingly, an evil grin on her face. Fern had hissed slightly but Bruce steadied her with a reassuring sweep of his hand. Fury was quick to cut the feed after that, the conversation shut down.

"I don't think you should be focusing on Loki, that guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you can smell crazy on him." Bruce huffed slightly from where he stood, half leaning on a chair. He felt a small, amused gush of air on his collarbone. He was on edge, and irritated. They both could feel the rumbling from the beast in the back of his head; Fern gently rubbing herself against his neck as far up as she dared.

"Have care how you speak! Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and my brother. I would not comment on crazy in your situation, Banner." Bruce frowned slightly as Thor growled at him over the table, his daemon squawking and seeming to crackling with static energy as she glared at him. Fern's claws dug into him as Bruce stared back, unmoving and refusing to back down, blood boiling slightly at the insult.

"Thor. He killed eighty people in two days." Natasha sighed from the table, sounded almost tired of the conversation. She was flicking Berlion's tail around aimlessly, looking threatening as she did. Thor stopped and looked down at her, a sad expression crossing his features.

"He's adopted." Thor sighed with a small shake of his head. He glanced at Bruce but never said anything. Zacha ruffled her feathers slightly and gently pecked Thor's ear. Bruce rolled his eyes and once again felt the heated stare from the demigod.

Be careful, Sport. Its not his fault, Fern gently nipped him.

No, its his brothers, Bruce sighed inwardly. "What do they need the Iridium for?" Bruce almost mumbled to Fern, but the rest of the room heard. Steve, a hand on Leia's head, looked up as if about to speak, but the words never left his mouth. Bruce suddenly became aware of a new presence in the room and tensed, looking around. Two figures were casually sauntering down the hallway Bruce and Steve had initially been brought in through. As the room hushed slightly, two men appeared, deep in conversation. Bruce instantly recognised one as the famous Tony Stark.

"Its a stabilising agent. Portal won't collapse in on itself like it did back at S.H.I.E.L.D." Tony strolled into the room, splitting from Agent Coulson and taking the floor. His husky daemon paced beside him, tail comfortably wavering. "Also means the portal can open wide and stay open as long as Loki wants." Tony stopped at the large monitors curving up from the floor. Bruce almost smirked when he suddenly pointed at a man on the bridge and accused him of playing Galaga, Steve looking over in complete confusion. He felt a little bit of sympathy for the soldier, understanding the feeling of not belonging and being out of touch.

Stop the pity party, Sport, Fern chuckled and flicked her tail against his shoulder.

"The rest of the raw materials Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily." Bruce noted the way Natasha minutely flinched at the mention of her partner, Berlion's lips twitching.

"Does Loki need any particular type of power source for this?" Steve looked up, uncertain of his words. Leia watched Tony's daemon intently.

"He'd have to heat the cube to twenty million Kelvin just to break the Coulomb barrier." Bruce glanced at Thor who was lost in his thoughts again, not partying to the conversation anymore. Steve frowned up at Bruce, not understanding.

"Unless Selvig had figured out how to stabilise the quantum tunnelling effect." Tony nodded over at Bruce who scoffed slightly.

"If he could do that he could achieve heavy ion fusion at any reactor on the planet." He shuddered slightly, not wanting to think of the outcome.

"Finally! Someone who speaks English." Tony grinned as he strode forwards, hand flashing out. "Its good to meet you, Dr. Banner." He slowly took the offered hand and shook, giving a polite smile. He barely heard Steve mumble 'Is that what just happened?' in the background. He was more focused on the billionaire who was staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Hes looking for me, Fern curled tighter around his neck, making Bruce blink and swallow.

"Tony Stark, and this is Akira." Tony nodded down to his daemon who was looking up at Bruce, a sadness on her features. She politely nodded and smiled sweetly.

"Bruce Banner." Bruce tried to ignore the stares that were directly at them from the rest of the room. Tony never seemed to notice. He paused for a few seconds before speaking again, full of charm and sarcasm once again.

"Your work on anti-electron collision is unparalleled, and I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster." Tony smirked slightly. Bruce done a double take, shocked at the abrupt mention of his alter ego, Fern bristling slightly in amused annoyance.

"T-Thanks." He raised an eyebrow, feeling a small smile creep onto his face. Tony noticed, and clasped his shoulder and grinned.

I like them, Fern decided firmly. Bruce only sighed inwardly at her. Fury had reappeared by this point, and another bout of conversation started, but Bruce never paid attention. Instead he was focused on the soft, warm feeling of Tony's hand on his shoulder. Fern edged closer and chanced a sniff.

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube, I was hoping you would join him." Tony raised an eyebrow at Bruce for confirmation, and when he nodded slightly, Tony gently shoved him with a smile and gestured to the door.

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Tony winked cheekily. Bruce felt his cheeks colour slightly, but he smiled and led Tony towards the lab.

"This way." He smirked slightly at the mixture of confused, and baffled expressions they left behind.

He's a keeper, Fern sniggered. This time, Bruce fully agreed.

"How can he talk of crazy, when he walks alone?" Thor scoffed after them, waiting until they were out of earshot. Steve looked up, unamused. Leia flashed her teeth slightly and flicked her tail, unsure.

"We don't know if he's Soulless, Thor." Steve warned at the same time Natasha hissed a soft "That's none of our business, if he does or doesn't."

"You have seen what I have seen. He is spiritually alone." Thor confirmed, stalking away in anger, Zacha taking flight and zipping in front of him. Steve watched him go, a lost expression on his features. When he had woken up in New York, he had believed for a few minutes that Leia hadn't survived the crash and rendered himself paralysed with worry and fear. He only relaxed when he felt her reaching out to him and soon came barging into the room with the same terrified expression.

He shook his head, Leia nudging his knee in comfort. With a grimace, Steve stood and walked out the room and towards his room, needing to get away from everyone for a while, Leia hot on his heels.

Xx

"I mean seriously, can you believe it? Ol' pops must have been living in a fantasy world." Tony had propped himself on the counter where Bruce was currently scanning the sceptre Loki had been using.

"I'm disappointed, whys his daemon not a bald eagle? You know, with the whole freedom and American rights." Akira was lying on the floor at his feet happily, occasionally sniffing Bruce's leg. She raised an eyebrow up at Tony who snorted and rubbed her head with a foot in response.

"He's…different than I thought he would be." Bruce hesitantly agreed. He felt safe around Tony, which was an alarming feeling. Fern was on high alert, Bruce could feel her tail flickering in warning occasionally. She was relaxed however, in comparison to her usual. Bruce caught her sniggering or agreeing with most of what the Stark pair were saying.

"Pft. Different isn't the word I'd use. Stuck up, ancient, Grandpa Rogers, has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Tony cackled slightly. Bruce rolled his eyes but couldn't help the small smile that played on his lips as he continued to type in figures and equations. "So whats the big secret?" Bruce paused and looked up.

"Secret?" He frowned, heart beginning to speed up slightly. Tony gave him an unconvinced look and pointedly looked at the now wary Akira. Fern backed away slightly with bared teeth.

"Wheres your daemon?" Tony blinked and looked over his form, his voice unnaturally quiet and hesitant. Inside his shirt, Fern snarled silently as her claws cut into Bruce painfully, panic rising in them both. "Is she hiding? Akira used to do that all the time, well, when she was small enough to. Or he, I know it happens sometimes." He shrugged, uncaringly. Tony stared at him, a flicker of concern lighting his eyes as he watched the colour drain from Bruce's face.

"I-Wha-why are you asking?" Bruce stammered, eyes wide as he breathed unevenly. Fern bared her teeth and slinked around, restless and unnerved. Bruce frantically moved his shoulders and arms, desperate to hide any movement she caused in his shirt. Tony blinked at the reaction and held a hand up.

"Hey, calm it, Big Guy. I was just asking. We don't judge. She or he's an insect right? They daemons freak me sometimes, so small." Akira had sat up by this point, staring intently at Bruce, her nose twitching.

"Tony." She gently warned, a concerned look on her face as she looked between the two men.

"I-I'd rather not-g-go there." He swallowed, trying to slow his heart rate. Tony looked at him harshly, and after looking at Akira, nodded after a moment.

How dare he, she snarled. Bruce rubbed his neck in an awkward manner, brushing his fingers under his collar and stroking Fern's back for a second before dropping his hand back to the desk.

Calm down, he dropped it, that's good enough for me, Bruce reassured. He was still trying to lower his heart rate and focusing on evening his breathing.

Fern, can't Akira sense you?, Bruce frowned outwardly slightly. He forced his face back to neutral when Tony blinked in confusion.

No, that's why he asked. A daemon can only learn to sense another if they know their scent or have initiated contact. She's done neither so can't tell if I'm here or not. That's why she was sniffing you. Sometimes its obvious you've been alone for too long, Fern sighed, shaking her head with a grimace.

Shut up, Bruce growled. He snapped his lips shut after a minute when he realised he has audibly reacted, Akira and Tony both watching him. He smiled awkwardly and averted his gaze back to his hands.

"Fair does. Oh well, you can tell me in candyland. You would love the tower, you should swing by. We can have science slumber parties…" Tony shrugged and launched into a detailed description of his home, absentmindedly twirling a miniature electrical prod in his fingers. Akira had averted her attention, deciding to wander the lab and investigate round, but Bruce could still feel the confusion wafting from them both. Still, he appreciated the effort they both put in to change the subject, and for Akira's interference.

"L-last time I was in New York, I uh broke Harlem." Bruce babbled, still in shock at the daemon confrontation. Fern was still seething, and glared at Tony through the fabric.

"I promise a stress-free environment. No tension, surprises…" Tony shrugged, leaping off the counter and rounding Bruce. Halfway round, he decided to stick the prod into Bruce's side. Fern hissed audibly and darted away from Bruce's right shoulder round to his chest.

"Ow! What was that for?" Bruce yelped loudly at the shock and jumped away, covering Fern's hiss. He turned to glare at Tony as he rubbed his side. He leaned back slightly when Tony leaned in, staring at him carefully.

"Nothing?" he asked, sounding almost disappointed. Bruce blinked, vaguely hearing the door slide open.

"Uh-w-what?" Bruce frowned, looking over to see Steve stroll in, looking annoyed. Leia stalked in front of him.

"Is everything a joke to you?" he glowered at Tony. Leia growled at Akira who bared her teeth. Fern slinked against Bruce's neck.

"Funny things are." Tony reasoned evenly, barely flinching.

"Threatening the safety of this ship isn't funny." Steve hissed. "No offense, Doc." He looked over, his voice softer.

He's scared of you, Fern blinked and rolled her eyes. What a baby.

I don't blame him, Bruce shot back at her. "its alright, I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle…pointy things." He glanced at the prod which Tony was still twirling. The billionaire grinned proudly and pointed the object at Bruce again, but not to shock him.

"You're tiptoeing, Big Guy. You need to strut." He walked round to Steve's side of the desk, maintaining eye contact with Bruce.

Huh, Fern watched in surprise as Tony stood their ground.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark."

"You think I'm not? Seriously, Cap, you'd think we were kids the way you speak." Tony rolled his eyes, exaggerated. Akira was circling Leia now, occasionally growling. The older daemon watching every movement with an untrusting eye.

Bruce watched the heated exchange, dazed. Tony had stood up for him. No one done that for a beast like him. The apparent self-obsessed, volatile man he had been prepped about suddenly didn't sound anything like the man he had been expecting to have dealings with. Sure, he was a pain in the neck and didn't know when to stop talking, but Bruce had seen the kindness in his eyes and the sympathy when Fern's situation cropped up. He hadn't appreciated that bombshell, but the recovery Tony allowed was unusual; he could have pushed for an answer, but he had noticed Bruce's discomfort and dropped the subject. Bruce realised with a small frown that he liked him, and that didn't happen often. He never let himself build any kind of friendship, the Other Guy not the best for that kind of responsibility.

"What a jerk, urgh." Tony grumbled as Steve stormed out. "Can you believe that? Threatening the safety nothing! You're too cool for that, right?" Tony glanced over his shoulder at Bruce, snapping him out his thoughts. He hadn't realised Steve had left, Leia following with her tail held stiffly from her body in anger.

"I wouldn't say that."

"Too bad, I just did." Tony shrugged carelessly and skipped over to the suspended screen and began to sieve through the information. Bruce blinked, hesitantly returning to his calculations. "Rage monster or not, daemon or not, you get the idea. I think you're a pretty cool guy." Tony smiled slightly, his usual air of sarcasm but Bruce could have sworn he heard honesty in his voice, and that scared him.

"I already told you, i-"

"Yeah yeah, don't mention either of them, got it. A shame though, Jolly Green seems like a scream." Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. He could feel the headache starting. "Now, lets get cracking with this cracking." Tony beckoned him over and wordlessly showed him the screen. It took Bruce a few seconds, but it soon clicked.

"You've hacked S.H.I.E.L.D?" Bruce's voice was higher with surprise. Tony snorted slightly at his reaction. Fern smiled, amused at the casual shrug Tony offered.

"Did you zone out or something? Yeah, JARVIS has been running it since we left the bridge. Grandpops wasn't happy about it, but hey, can't trust anyone, can you?" Tony smirked playfully and returned to finishing the process. Bruce grimaced slightly. Fern huffed an agreement and pressed a paw into Bruce's neck in comfort.

"Does Fury know?" he blinked at the taller man with a small frown. Tony shrugged, uncaringly.

"So what if he does? JARVIS will be finished soon. I don't trust whats going on with that sceptre. S.H.I.E.L.D knows something we don't, and I intend to find out." Bruce watched as Akira rubbed against Tony's legs soothingly, Fern also touching his neck in the same manner.

"You're right." Bruce nodded firmly. Tony grinned and began to instruct and guide Bruce in what he was doing as they set about cracking through the defense walls. They whole while, Fern softly watching Akira wander around looking almost lost, and felt a small pang of sympathy.

Xx

"What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" Fury glowered as he strolled into the room. Bruce jumped slightly and looked up, his glasses slipping down his nose as he did. Tony, from where he was propped on the counter close to Bruce, didn't budge and continued to stare at the screen.

"Been wondering the same thing about you." Tony looked up slightly before going back to the screen Bruce was also looking at. He hung his head over Bruce's shoulder, making his feel edgy. Fern was hunched, frozen and inches below Tony's chin. Bruce coughed and subtly shifted so his shoulder wasn't under Tony anymore. He slid his glasses off and folded them into his pocket.

"You're supposed to be locating the tesseract." Fury evenly grounded out. His raven daemon stared down from his shoulder with her piercing eyes.

"We are." Bruce growled, feeling the familiar anger boiling up. Fern quickly licking his throat and urged him to calm down.

"You'll get your cube back, blah blah whatever." Tony rolled his eyes dramatically. Akira sat in front of them both, huffing up at Fury's daemon, Raav. "What is phase two?" Tony frowned at Bruce who shrugged. They both looked at Fury who only glared.

"Phase two is S.H.I.E.L.D. using the cube to make weapons." Steve piped up, slamming a large gun onto one of the workstations. He glared evenly at Fury before turning to Tony with a softer look, "Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me." Tony only smirked slightly.

"Rogers, we gathered everything on the tesseract, this doesn't mean-" Fury turned, holding his hands up with a sigh as he began to explain. He was cut off when Tony jumped off the counter as the screen flashed and beeped. He walked round and twisted the monitor so they could see.

"I'm sorry, Nick. What were you lying?" he pointed to the monitor, now showing the secret plans. Bruce looked on in disgust, also rounding the table to lean beside Tony. Fern flicked her tail and huffed at the image, just as disgusted.

That's inhumane, what were they planning to do with them?, Bruce frowned and glared harder at Fern's question, and voiced it. Fury only stared at him, which Bruce held easily. He opened his mouth, but was cut off when Natasha and Thor suddenly appeared, both looking annoyed.

Oh great, him again, Fern huffed.

"Did you know about this?" Bruce stood up fully, watching Natasha and pointing at the screen. She didn't react, instead casually raising an eyebrow. Berlion sat down at her feet, watching warily.

"You want to think of removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Bruce blinked and firmed shook his head, feeling childish as he stubbornly stayed beside Tony.

"Calcuttas' pretty well 'removed' to me, don't you think?" he spat, his eyes flashing slightly. Fern hissed warningly.

"You didn't come her because I batted my eyelashes, did you?" She smiled sweetly, making Bruce growl in rage. He swallowed and forced himself to take a deep breath.

"I not leaving because you suddenly get a little twitchy. Why are you making weapons of mass destruction?" he turned his glare on Fury who had watched the exchange with an uneasy eye.

"Because of him." He furiously pointed to Thor, who innocently looked baffled.

"Me?" Thor glared, Zacha screeching. The bickering continued, Bruce continuing to grow angrier with each word until Fern was wrapped around the back of his neck and nipping the soft skin, helping him focus. He tunes the arguing out, closing his eyes with a soft grimace. He had to be careful, he couldn't lose control up here.

Chill, Bruce. You're fine, Fern purred in his ear. Bruce nodded almost to himself with a shudder. He looked up to see Tony and Steve glaring each other down, Akira and Leia snarling at each other and occasionally snapping their teeth.

Oh, how I want to show her a thing or two, Fern glowered, staring as Leia threateningly thrashed her tail. Bruce agreed with narrowed eyes.

"No, no no, we're not a team, we're-we're a timebomb." Bruce shrugged at Fury who turned towards him.

"You need to step away." His warning tone didn't faze Bruce's enraged smile.

Ha, make us, Fern crept onto Bruce's chest.

"Why shouldn't the guy let off some steam?" Tony pfted, leaning on Steve's shoulder who abruptly shook him off.

"You know damn well why, back off!" He almost shouted, Leia barking and snapping at Akira's neck.

"I'm starting to want you to make me." Tony grinned, looking equally as angry. He rounded to look Steve square in the eye, their daemons continuing to snap and nip at each other.

"Yeah, big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?" Steve looked Tony up and down in a very degrading manner. Bruce's eyes flashed again. He hissed slightly, screwing them shut as he fought for control. He paused for a few seconds, waiting until he felt more stable before opening his eyes.

"What a team." He sighed to Fern. Fury heard, and turned his glare on him. He looked harshly at Natasha who was looking uninterested, Berlion grooming his fur.

"Agent Romanoff, will you escort Dr. Banner back t-"

"Where? You're renting my room." Bruce raised an unamused eyebrow. Fern huffed a snigger.

"The cell was-" Fury sighed, fed up with the tension and arguing. Raav was ruffling her feathers, agitated. Bruce gritted his teeth, anger flashing again.

"In case you needed to kill me, but you can't, I know, I tried." He yelled, eyes ablaze. Breathing unevenly, he barely registered the shocked stares turn to him, and didn't feel Fern's paw stroke his throat. "I got low, I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the Other Guy spat it out." He spat the words out, glaring round, the hurt and shame shining in his eyes now. "So I moved on from it all. I focused on helping people, I was as good as I could be, until you dragged me back into this freak show." Bruce was seething himself, glaring round them all. He vaguely registered Tony's sympathetic and almost respectful nod. He didn't have time to ponder over it as he heard a gun's safety click off. He whipped round to Fury, who was looking with a partially scared expression.

"Dr. Banner. Put down the sceptre." Steve mumbled, unsure of his words. Leia was crouching in annoyed submission, as was Raav. Berlion was crouching too, but in a threatening manner. Akira stood unmoving, looking torn.

Bruce, Fern whimpered. Bruce looked down at his hand in shock, where the sceptre was gripped. He looked back up, his eyes wide.

What happened? Fern, why did i- Bruce swallowed.

Its ok, you just got a little angry. Nothing happened, its ok. I'm here, she gently reassured, relieved he was listening again. She rubbed her shoulder. Bruce shook his head and dropped the sceptre, staring as if it had jumped into his hand. He looked back up, catching Tony's almost amused glance. Before he could react, a loud trill filled the room, a light flashing from the opposite side. They all tensed and turned, Bruce automatically walking over, Natasha following.

"Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick." He growled under his breath, Akira sniggering slightly, earning a glare from Leia and Zacha, who had stayed quiet the whole time.

Bruce rolled his eyes and read through the results. They were clear and had picked up a signal, some good news.

Maybe we can leave now, I hate it here, Fern curled into a comfier position, lazily watching the screen as Bruce studied it, barely acknowledging her.

Wait, Fern look, Bruce done a double take and lifted a finger to the area he was reading. Fern sat up and peered closer.

"T-the coordinates must be wrong, that's impossible, she frowned, inching closer yet wary of Berlion and Natasha's constant stare as Bruce analysed the result.

Hold on, if I check this one, it'll give me where it-what?, he frowned outwardly and folded his arms.

From what that's saying, the tesseract is-uh-twenty metres away? Fern gasped slightly, feeling uneasy. Bruce glanced up at the window, only now catching the flash of black in the blue sky.

"Oh my God." He breathed, startling Natasha slightly.

"What?" She pushed, stepping forward. Wordlessly, he turned to her and opened his mouth. Whatever he was about to say was stunned from his lips as the floor suddenly caved, the lab lighting in an explosive flame. Bruce yelped as he fell, landing hard on his stomach.

Bruce! Are you ok? Fern frantically crawled further up, gripping him desperately.

No, he's-its-, Bruce growled, feeling their connection slipping. Desperately, he gritted his teeth as he fought the panic and anger, the transformation beginning.

Listen to me. Focus on me, come on Sport, you're ok. Don't let him win, Fern pleaded, feeling a wave of weakness washed over her. She stumbles slightly and falls against him. Bruce's hand grabs her through the material.

"Doctor….Bruce?" Natasha's voice cuts through them both like an ice cold knife.

Uh oh, Fern grimaced. Bruce turned his head slightly and looked at her. Her wide, terrified eyes were nothing of the Black Widow. Berlion was curled protectively in front of her, but he smelled of fear too. Bruce screwed his eyes shut, his shirt beginning to rip as his muscles bulged. He growled painfully.

"Control, Banner." Berlion's voice was threatening, yet reassuring. Fern managed an eyeroll.

For once, listen to them. Come on, Sport, I'm here.

You aren't, you-you-, Bruce almost sobbed, instead yelping.

I am, I promise. I'm always here with you, Fern mumbled and licked his green tinted skin.

"I swear, Bruce, on my life that I'll get you out of this, you'll walk away an-" Natasha cut herself off as Bruce turned to look at her, halfway transformed.

"Your life?!" he yelled, pained.

Bruce, please, Fern whimpered. His shirt ripped completely, Fern falling out and landing heavily beside him. Bruce managed to drop himself with her, shielding her from Natasha's view. He screwed his eyes in agony as Fern let out a short gush of air. She reached a paw over and held his cheek.

"Bruce." She whispered, not caring if Natasha heard. "I'm here with you." Bruce managed to open his eyes just in time to see her fading, finally disappearing in a misting haze. His eyes teared as he watched, his heart shattering.

"No!" he screamed, long and angstfilled. He forced himself onto his knees as the transformation neared to an end, his mind almost gone. With one last effort, he sent an apologetic glance to the petrified agent and her margay daemon before he was lost to the darkened rage in his mind and everything disappeared.

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**The plot will diverse away from MCU Avengers a little but somethings will be the same. Updated soon :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

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The first thing he became aware of was the still silence that surrounded him. Screwing his eyes closed with a groan against the dim light, Bruce twitched and began to stir. His muscles and body burned and ached as if he had sprinted through one hundred marathons without warming up. With a soft whimper, Bruce cracked an eye open and looked around, trying not to wince as his neck throbbed. He was lying, completely naked, in a large pile of rubble and dust. Opening his eyes fully and sitting up stiffly with a few winces, he looked round properly. He was in an abandoned warehouse, machinery and tools cast to the sides, rusted and filmed with dust.

"F-Fern…" Bruce croaked, gripping his pounding head. The panic rose as he scanned the surrounding bricks and broken beams.

"Bruce! I'm here!" the exhausted man lifted his head, hope and relief filing his expression. He all at once noticed the beautiful snow leopard, staggering slightly at the bottom of the rubble pile. Her dusty coloured fur was matted with dust and dirt. She looked up and frantically began leaping and climbing towards him, looking just as stiff and sore as Bruce felt. Bruce jumped into action and half sliding towards her, ignoring his screaming muscles.

"Thank God." Bruce emotionally breathed as they embraced, hands gripping her soft fur as he buried his face into her scruff, breathing in her sweet, familiar scent.

"Are you ok?" Fern purred and batted her head into his chest affectionately. Her paws braced either side of his hips, squeezing gently in a makeshift hug. Bruce nodded, still breathing deeply. She lifted a paw and stroked his cheek.

"I thought this time…I-I thought-" Bruce choked slightly, pulling her closer. Fern licked his other cheek understandingly. She gently shushed him.

"I'm here. I'm never leaving you." Fern mumbled, a soft growl in her chest. Bruce stroked her nose with a small smile. Together, they sat there; man and daemon reunited. Fern shifted into his lap, curling up and rubbing close. Bruce held her tightly, as if he was afraid to let go.

"You fell out of the sky. Are you alright?" Bruce jumped at the new voice, Fern hissing fearfully and shifted. She slinked off his lap, now a polecat, and hide behind his leg.

"Y-yeah. I-I'm fine. Sorry, a-about the damage." Bruce swallowed, swivelling to see an elderly man standing at the top of the rubble, holding a pile of clothes and looking partially concerned. He slowly and unsteadily climbed down the pile, in a very unusually smooth path. It took Bruce's exhausted state a few moments to realise he had been standing on a platform and was descending down stairs.

"There's no need to panic, Son. Bruce, isn't it? Sorry, I heard her saying it. You and you daemon are fine, calm down." The man smiled slightly as he reached the bottom, looking up slightly at Bruce and gesturing for him to join him. His Doberman daemon sniffed slightly before climbing a few steps towards Bruce, her expression soft and worried.

Bruce tensed, heart hammering. Daemon. He had seen her. Fern whimpered and back away, hissing a warning to the confused dog. Bruce didn't realised; his mind was racing, images of past memories flooding. His Father, his Doberman daemon with her malicious grin and strong bite. His teeth sinking into his Mother's snow leopard daemon; which Fern looked identical to. He glanced at Fern and felt a terrifying hopelessness enter him.

"Here, put these on." A gentle feminine voice smiled down at him. In his hazed panic, Bruce hadn't realised the man's daemon had climbed to his side, and dumped the offered clothes at his feet. Fern was on his shoulder now, glaring deeply. He could feel her quivering form, tense and terrified.

"T-thanks." Bruce stuttered, grabbing the clothes and pulling himself in slightly. The daemon only smiled and looked at Fern, addressing her. It was sometimes seen as disrespectful for a daemon to speak to another's human without being addressed first. Normally however, it was rare for a daemon to speak to any human out with their own, usually only in intimate relationships; such as lovers or close family members.

"You gave us quite the scare, thought you were dead. You mustn't be scared, no no. We mean no harm." She smiled and nodded at Fern, who was staring in terrified disbelief. With a small gruff, the Doberman turned and gracefully glided down the pile towards her human, rubbing into his leg as they both looked back up to the stunned pair.

"Why are they being friendly?" Bruce blinked slightly, stiffly pulling the jeans on. Fern sat up slightly, still shaken.

"They don't want to hurt us, we're safe." She nodded a reassurance after a moment. Bruce looked at her for a paused second, before worriedly nodding.

"O-ok. I don't really believe that, do you?" Fern only grimaced at the question.

"Bruce, they would have done it by now. If they were going to do anything, they would have." Bruce nodded, this time more confident.

Having Fern in full view to another daemon and human felt so wrong. He felt exposed and vulnerable. His mind flashed back to the last time Fern had willingly been in other's presence. The day his Mother died. After that night, Fern didn't show herself often, and preferred to stay away from other daemons. She never hid however, she only withdrew and refused contact. Her preference being to sit atop Bruce's shoulder in polecat form in silence. She only shifted when they were alone.

When Bruce had been struck by the Gamma rays during the Accident, Betty and her Wildcat daemon watching with horror, Fern had leaped out his shirt and tried to lessen the exposure, shifting from Polecat to Snow Leopard. General Ross took it upon himself to figure it out and therefore experiment. He hunted them down, one hand poking and prodding for the Hulk, while the other cornered and experimented on Fern. He ran tests and theories on them, determined to work out Fern's unusual ability.

"Yeah, until he sees what you can do." Bruce mumbled bitterly, standing as he finished the last button. He stumbled slightly as he walked down onto the floor, Fern propped on his shoulder, looking around with her bright eyes.

"Didn't think they would fit you until you shrunk to a regular sized fella." The man weakly grinned and gestured to the clothes, relieved that Bruce had finally responded to him.

"Y-you saw?" Bruce hung his head in embarrassment and defeat. He however wasn't expecting the man to chuckle.

"The whole thing. Big, and green, and buck ass nude. You were alone when you fell, but then when you shrunk back down, she just, appeared. Are you an alien?" he frowned slightly, not in confusion, but wonder and concern.

"N-no." Bruce shook his head with a small snort at the same time Fern huffed a negative.

"Well, Son. You have a condition. What I don't get, is where does you daemon go?" the Doberman barked slightly and nudged the man harshly. "Whoops. Sorry, somethings I never think through."

"Clearly." The Doberman huffed, Fern smiling slightly.

"I-don't know what happens." Bruce shook his head as he looked at her. The man patted his shoulder, shaking it slightly. He started at the contact.

"Well what she does is pretty cool. Not many daemons keep that ability, you know." Bruce's blood turned cold.

"H-What-h-" the man laughed and shook his head. He let go of Bruce and began to walk towards the doors, beckoning Bruce along.

"Ach, nothing to be ashamed of. It ain't a bad thing, life happens to everyone differently. As long as she's healthy, you can't asked for more." Bruce frowned slightly, nodding minutely in agreement. "You act like you don't ever show her to anyone." Bruce's wince earned a sigh.

"I have my reasons." He grumbled slightly. Fern licked his cheek and nuzzled into him. The man looked at him, hard, before shrugging and scratching the dog's head. Bruce's heart ached at the carefree gesture. For the first time in years, he suddenly felt a yearning to do the same, a hand gently trailing towards her in an almost unsure manner. Fern purred and leaned into the touch eagerly. He shuddered slightly, enjoying the open, warm euphoria that blossomed.

"Can't be much of a life. Well, it ain't a bad thing in my eyes, but I guess not my business. You got somewhere to go?" the change of topic was much appreciated by Bruce, but not so much Fern. She frowned deeply as she watched the Doberman, carefree and wandering away from her human.

"Stark Tower. No, I-yes." Bruce grumbled and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. The man chuckled and nodded understandingly.

"I'd expect some confusion of the mind at this stage, since your bodys' all over the place. It has to be one or the other though." The security guard gently smiled.

"I-I know where I can do the most good, its where I can do the most harm." Bruce grimaced and eyed the security guard who looked thoughtful for a moment. Fern's eyes were still on the relaxed dog.

"Well, that's no different from anybody else. Only you know that answer, my boy. However, I'd say you know where you'll end up. Less you would never have mentioned it." He smiled kindly at the confused man. "Take the bike there, its scrap anyway. Supposed to be going to the heap in the morning so may as well use it for something good."

"T-thank you." Bruce didn't waste any time arguing. The guard smiled and clasped his shoulder one more time, before slowly hobbling off, throwing a 'Good luck, Bruce' over his shoulder. The Doberman grinned up at Fern before trotting off behind her human, tagging swaying gently.

"Stark Tower." Fern mumbled under her breath, tail flicking. Bruce blinked slightly and turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Stark Tower. That's where we have to go." Fern jumped off his shoulder and shifted. She spun and looked up at him, a determined look on her face. Bruce shook his head.

"We can't, Fern." Bruce slowly trudged towards the bike, actions still unsure and confused.

"Well why not? Lokis' still out there, Bruce. You can help. I'm fed up hiding." Fern growled and flicked her tail, stalking in front of him. Bruce froze, staring with wide eyes.

"F-fed up? Fern, it keeps us safe. You know what would happen if Ross found us again, or if someone else seen fit to experiment on us." Bruce swallowed the bile that rose from the memories.

"Maybe, but not from S.H.I.E.L.D." she stubbornly huffed and sat down, grooming herself delicately.

"Are you insane? S.H.I.E.L.D. is the exact organisation that would jump at the chance! You can't be seen." The man sighed sadly and slumped against the bike, falling to the floor in a crouched heap. "I can't let you get hurt again."

"Bruce, ever thing that maybe we should give it another chance? We're living in the past, what about the present?" Fern gently reasoned, sitting down next to her human and leaning into his shaking form.

"B-but-no. I can't." Bruce whimpered, his head throbbing painfully with each breath he took.

"I'm not suggesting we just walk around like it never happened, but maybe we should pick ourselves up. He's gone for good, and Ross is way behind us. I don't think Stark would be too happy with someone appearing and basically kidnapping you."

"Stark is only there for the publicity, not that I blame him. He doesn't care, Fern." Bruce huffed with exasperation.

"How do you know? He likes you, Bruce. Think about it, Akira spoke to you. There must be some respect there." Fern nudged his shoulder. Bruce blinked and frowned, mind kicking into deep thought.

"I-she was only asking about you. Don't tell me you have a soft spot for them." He huffed with an eyeroll. Fern bristled and hissed, tail flicking a warning.

"No. All I'm saying is we need to start living again, cause this isn't living, Bruce. Running from the past won't get us anywhere, maybe we should move on and catch the future." Fern shifted again, wriggling her whiskers before climbing onto Bruce's shoulder and settling down; conversation closed. Bruce growled to himself as he stood, hauling a leg over the bike and wordlessly pulling away without so much as a wobble.

Fern had a point, but Bruce was having none of it. His father was relentless, and although he was locked away for life, he couldn't shake the horror he brought. The endless torture of Fern becoming a chew toy for his cursed daemon while he crumpled and writhed in complete agony, her pain flowing into him. The biting and scratching had nothing on his father's bare hand gripping Fern. He never listened or abided to the largest unspoken law; never to touch another person's daemon. Occasionally, lovers may make small contact, but it is considered to be the worst offense to man and daemon. The raw feeling of being ripped open and exposed, the nauseous darkness and white hot flames that tore through every inch of him was something Bruce would never forget. Whenever he closed his eyes, he dreamt of that awful experience and feeling of dying without being allowed something as sweet as death.

It didn't stop there, oh no. Bruce, after running from his father, began to relax after a few months. Fern seemed to recover from her assaults and settled in well with Bruce's new life with his aunt and uncle. Fern stayed away from daemons, in the hallway at school preferring to perch on his shoulder and quietly watch, not caring that her actions earned the duo bewildered stares from teachers and pupils alike. General Ross was a different story however. Fern warmed to Kiaza, Betty's daemon, quickly. She soon began to interact and behave more openly and passionately towards him, leaving Bruce's body and happily engaging with the wildcat. After the accident, General Ross ordered their arrest, and detained them; Bruce separated from Fern. She was exposed, violated and tortured to the brink of death, Bruce watching and suffering helplessly from the side-lines.

They escaped, days before the Final Experiment, and ran. Bruce had heard the plans and panicked, his terror managing to break himself free and release them both. Fern, glad to be free, clung to Bruce like her life depended on it. Bruce didn't argue and clung back desperately. All trust however, was gone. Bruce hid her from public, unable to relax with her in view, terrified of the same ordeal occurring again. Fern hid in fear, refusing to leave the safety of Bruce's body even when in private for months.

Bruce growled to himself as they drove on, Fern still in view and looking at ease as they sped towards the city. She didn't know what she was talking about, there's no way she really meant that; that she wanted to stop hiding. Didn't she remember everything that had happened? She wouldn't be safe, and he had to protect her. They had to careful, if General Ross managed to get them, he would run the Final Experiment. He had all his data or whatever he seen fit to call results, only one thing missing from it.

Bruce swallowed as he dodged round a pothole. No, he would never let it happen. He would rather die himself than let him do that to Fern. Why would anyone want to-?

"Stop overthinking, Sport." Fern yelled in his ears, struggling to be heard over the rushing wind.

"I'm not. I'm fine."

"You're such a bad liar." Fern chuckled slightly, curling into his neck. Bruce sighed, a small smile curling on his lips. He couldn't stay mad at her no matter how hard he tried.

"You're worse than me." He called back as they turned onto a main road, finally beginning to see and heard the city throbbing.

"Ha. You wish. Now come on, I don't know about you, but I think Loki needs to be taught a lesson." Fern huffed with a snarl.

"Easy, tiger. They might, hopefully, still have him contained."

"With the carnage from the Helicarrier, I'm almost positive he got out. He isn't called the God of Mischief for nothing, you know."

"Unfortunately, I do know. I just hope Agent Romanoffs' ok." Fern only shrugged and slipped into his collar as they reached the edge of the city. Bruce smirked, a spark of relief, as he felt her disappearing. Maybe she didn't mean what she was saying after all.

She'll be fine, Fern licked his neck. Bruce didn't respond, only slowed the bike to a halt and stared out into the city.

Bruce?, Fern nudged him, uncertain.

"Look." Bruce breathed, breathing uneasy. Fern poked her head out his shirt with a frown, which quickly turned to a gasp.

The city lay in ruins, fires and dust sprinkled around the collapsed buildings and toppled cars. Faint gunshots and explosions could be heard in the distance. Bruce swallowed at the derelict street, slowly starting up the motor again and pulling off, eyeing around the destruction.

"Was this Him?" He whispered. Fern batted his ear.

"No, remember that guy said you fell from the sky, so Hulk landed back there. He haven't been near the city. No Bruce, this is Loki." Fern narrowed her eyes slightly as she took in the ruined area.

Bruce nodded, half relieved through his bewilderment, and sped off again, dodging around piles of rubble and cars. As he neared the centre of the city, he could hear screams and strange noises, sounding similar to grunts and cries.

What is going on?, Fern had crawled back into the concealing shirt, but peered out the small gap at Manhattan, crumpled to its knees.

I don't know, but we're going to find out, Bruce gritted his teeth, slinking round a shrieking police car, breathing deeply. As he ventured further into the city, he became more hesitant.

Over there, Fern nipped his neck and guided his eyes over. Slowing the bike down, he approached a cluster of metallic corpses, piled around the group. Bruce watched as Captain America turned from where he was talking to Romanoff, Thor, and a strange man with a bow, and stared in disbelief, the noise of the engine cutting through the eerie silence despite the chaos.

"So, this all seems horrible." Bruce dismounted the bike and stiffly walked towards them, as they moved closer to him. He walked past the destroyed shops and cafes on either side of the road where he stood, eyes focused on the advancing Avengers. Romanoff eyed him warily.

"I've seen worse." She nodded slightly, whether in indication or greeting, Bruce couldn't tell. Beside her, Berlion hissed slightly, but not with nearly as much anger than the previous time. Bruce felt Fern cock her head slightly and curl her tail in confusion.

"Sorry." Bruce mumbled and bowed his head.

"No, we could use, a little worse." She smiled slightly, looking warmly accepting despite the clear mistrust she had displayed before. Bruce frowned and inclined his head for an explanation, but she averted her eyes to the Captain.

Thor stood to the back, seething and muttering to himself. Bruce watched with sympathy as he cursed slightly, shaking his head and moving forwards to stand beside Romanoff. Zacha looked relaxed however, melancholic if anything. She was clearly in distress however, Thor looked just as disturbed.

Is that the guy she was so desperate to save?, Fern inched closer and dared a peek at the new face. Bruce didn't respond, only looked closer at the man in question.

The man with the bow and arrow cautiously nodded a greeting. He was wearing a uniform similar to the female assassin, obviously of the same status. He eyed Bruce for a moment, sending a glance to his fellow agent and returning to plucking arrows from the mangled bodies strewed around, filling his quiver back up. On his shoulder, a bird fluttered her wings in slight agitation. She was a beautiful brown shade, her curved beak looking striking similar to a Hawks.

"Clint Barton, Repalla." The man raised his chin slightly as he plucked the last arrow out and dropped it back into the quiver. He gestured to his shoulder at the bird who blinked at Bruce.

"Bruce Banner." He smiled emotionlessly. His swallowed after a moment, feeling strangely rude and conflicted about not introducing Fern. He shook himself after a second, looking back to the Captain who suddenly lifted his hand to his ear. The Captain watched Bruce carefully. He stood in front of the others, Leia holding her head high in command, tail curling in dominance around each leg as she gently caught Bruce's eye in greeting.

"Stark, we got him, just like you said." The Captain spoke into an earpiece, nodding his head slightly at Bruce who felt a strange flutter in his chest. Stark believed he would come back? Why?

Told you he cared, Fern gleefully nudged into his neck. Bruce growled silently and shook his head.

He cares for the city, although I don't know why he wanted me here in that case, he snapped back, probably a bit more forcefully than he would have liked. He gritted his teeth as he looked at the exhausted faces, suddenly feeling the enraged determination that each one displayed.

Shaking his head, he turned and looked back as Stark all of a sudden flew into view, a huge flying alien following close by. It crashed to the ground, rushing towards the group.

So, there actually is an army from outer space?, Fern poked her nose out slightly, knowing she was hidden by Bruce's shoulder.

Looks like it. Which means Loki did get out, Bruce watched the creature career towards them, sending a glance back to the preparing group, before squaring his shoulders and walking forward.

"Dr. Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry." The Captain had stepped forward slightly, looking mildly hesitant and dazed as he spoke. Bruce looked over his shoulder as he walked, giving a small, sad smile.

Are you going to do it?, Fern looked up at the fast approaching beast. She was hissing in anxiety.

I have to, Bruce nodded minutely, taking deep breaths.

"That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry." He growled and turned back to face his target, setting his feet in place. He barely registered Stark flying past him.

Try not to die, Fern whispered, the horrid weakness beginning to rapidly take hold. Bruce nodded and started to let his mind sink and the green to consume him.

See you on the other side, he mumbled with a grimace. With his last few seconds of consciousness, he clenched his fist and hurled it towards the creature, feeling it make contact as he lost himself, once again, to the darkness.

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**Updating soon :)**


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